Epitaph
by Ezzie Valentine
Summary: I separated myself from my friends in order to help save everyone. I knew that if they realized what I planned, they would stop me. I couldn't have that...


Epitaph

By Ezzie Valentine 

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Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or anything within its universe. Square-Enix has that privilege. I'm just a poor student, and make no money from this.

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I can see the city that was once flourishing with the sounds of a thriving, peaceful city in my mind, but all that is gone now. It's so quiet here. Many people would have found it depressing to be in such a deathly quiet place, but I found it comforting. It was almost as if I had finally come home. To me, the place was beautiful. I did not see the broken shell homes and the paths that bore the effects of time. This stunning place was where I had come to die. I have accepted this as my fate. Tifa, Yuffie, Nanaki, Cid, Barrett, Cloud and... Vincent; so many wonderful people, I cherish them and hold them close to my heart, but they would never understand.

They would try to stop me, but this is my fate.

I must hurry though, I pull a small pocket watch from my pocket. I have at least a three, maybe four hour head start on them, and I knew they would be here, but HE was already here. I can feel him observing me from afar. Many people would be terrified with the knowledge that the person that would end their life was watching them, but I wasn't. Of course, I was sad that I would be leaving my mom and friends behind, but I was also sad for Sephiroth. Because of circumstances out of his control, he doesn't have a will of his own.

A sigh escapes my lips at the thoughts running through my mind, but it was also at that moment that I realized where I was. The Crystalline City was breathtaking. I found it oddly comforting that some of the last images I would see, would be of this amazing place.

Making my way down to the central platform, I could imagine the ceremonies that may have taken place here; weddings, funerals and various other events, whether they be joyous or full of sorrow, had been witnessed by these blue hued stones, crystals and amazingly clear waters. I remember reading when I was younger that certain types of stone and water could hold memories of things past. I wondered what I would see if I could tap into the greatest memory made in this place.

In the center of the platform, as gracefully as I could, I lowered myself to my knees, closing my eyes. The material of my dress did nothing to protect my flesh from the cold that was being transferred through the stone to my knees, but I embraced it as one of the few last sensations that I would feel before I left this place to join my brethren in the promised land.

I was surprised when I felt a drop of wetness on my face, causing me to open my eyes. Capturing that droplet on my fingers, it was then that I realized that tears were flowing, though no sound escaped me. The blue stone turned a touch darker with each salty drop that escaped me. Why was I crying? I accepted my fate, so why? It took me a moment, but I knew what it was that brought these tears forth. There was so much I had yet to experience, that I would never experience…

A soft hiccup slipped from me as my eyes fell closed. I can't think like this right now. I had a job that I needed to see through to the end. My hands were clasped, my lips moved in silent prayer as I continued to pray.

When my body began to feel tired, I exhaled deeply and allowed my eyes to open and was startled when they met a very familiar glowing crimson. A gentle smile traced my lips as I reached out to him. "Vincent, will you join me?" I asked, and felt my smile widen as he nodded, making his way to the platform with ease coming to kneel before me.

We sat in silence for several minutes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. We took solace in each other's presence.

"Aeris," His deep voice caused a slight shiver to slide through her form. "I know why you came alone."

I was a bit shocked by his words, but I knew I should not have been. He was very observant of his surroundings and the people within them. This skill, no doubt, was thanks to his intensive training as one of the most decorated and elite of the Turk's ranks.

"Is there no other way?" He asked, reaching out to place his warm hand on my shoulder.

I brought my gaze up to meet with his intense crimson eyes and reached up, covering his much larger hand with mine. A smile broke out upon my lips as I saw how dainty my hand looked upon his. I entwined my fingers with his and brought the metal gauntlet that was his left hand into my own. "I'm sorry Vincent, I wish there was another way, but there isn't. It has to be this way. I must try. I don't want the Planet or any of the people on it to die simply because I was afraid. I won't let Sephiroth be the one to do it because of Jenova's manipulations." I said with conviction. "I regret that I didn't have more time to spend with you all, but" I could hear my voice cracking slightly as tears burned my eyes. "I will miss the time I spent with you the most. You were always there providing silent support for us, for me. I will hold close to my heart, the conversations we had and I will never forget any of it. I regret that my time with you was so short...

" **In my heart, I don't want my tombstone to say that I tried, I want it to say, 'She did it with the help of those she loved, and together, they accomplished something amazing.'"**

The raven-haired man surprised her by gently pulling her into his arms, running a hand across her back in soothing circles. Her body relaxed into his as she buried her face in the space between his neck and shoulder, inhaling his unique scent. I could feel his embrace tighten when my body began to shake again with quiet tears.

After a few moments, he pulled back and our eyes met. His hand came up, tipping my chin up slightly and I was shocked into immobility when his lips pressed against mine. My heart skipped in my chest and a moan escaped me, granting him access to deepen the kiss. I felt dizzy, so wonderfully dizzy, but I didn't mind. I didn't want this moment to end.

He pulled back from the kiss long enough for us to draw in some much needed air before indulging once more, this time at a higher intensity. His lips teased my own, peppered light kisses along my jaw and down the side of my neck. Vincent's forehead came to rest against my own and I watched those claret eyes closed, but not before I noticed the pain within them.

"That was my first kiss." I said softly.

"It was?"

"Yes."

"Are you upset?" Vincent asked, opening his eyes.

I pulled back slightly and smiled. "No, not at all. I'm happy." She clasped her. "Can you stay with me for a while? I know that you'll have to catch up with the others when they arrive, I just…want you to stay with me longer."

"Yes. I'll meet with them when I feel Cloud arrive at bone village."

"Thank you, Vincent."

* * *

"I thank you, Aeris." He said softly, gracing her with a very small smile. He clasped her hands with his once more as she began to pray, never knowing that he was praying for her. It was bad enough that he was going to lose her, but if he couldn't take her place, couldn't talk her out of it, he would pray for a peaceful, painless passing. She never saw the crimson eyes of the Turk move to an upper level of the Crystalline City, meeting the mako green eyes of the General. He could see the strain in those orbs, and knew that Sephiroth was fighting Jenova's control, allowing the flower girl's prayers to reach the lifestream.

o-o-Authors Notes-o-o

Hello everyone, long time no see, right? It's been several years since I've posted any updates to anything that I wrote, but there's been good reason for that. There has been a lot of health issues within my family, and with myself, that I've been taking care of. The most recent of them being me breaking my ankle and my brother younger brother having a stroke this August. He's one year younger than me so it's been incredibly hard watching him in the hospital, but he has put together his own physical therapy program and has most of the function back in his right leg and arm, but he can't write because he doesn't have the fine motor control back just yet.

Along with that stuff, I've been attending school. I got my Associates Degree in general studies and I'm currently working on my Associates of Applied Sciences in health information management. I actually start on those courses in about 10 days.

I'm actually still working on Always Smiling and The Cousin of Death. I've been able to plot out several chapters of AS, but I haven't had a chance to type them yet.

Now for this little drabble, it's basically based on a quote by Katherine Dunham:

 **"I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone. Now I want "She did it."**

I had to add a bit to that because I feel Aeris would want to acknowledge the sacrifices made by her friends as well. Originally, I wrote a lemon scene into this, but I took it out. I might post it elsewhere later. Keep in mind that this drabble is AU, which means I can alter what I want to make this the way I wanted this. In this AU, Zack and Cloud's relationships with Aeris were that of good friends (sorta big brothers taking care of little sister), not romantic in the slightest.


End file.
